Gender Wars Part 2 A Look at Affirmative Action

Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong
My own beliefs are in my song
The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then
Makes no difference what group I'm in

I am everyday people, yeah yeah

Sly and the Family Stone

Before launching into this post let me start by saying I hope you all enjoyed the video!  

That video in retrospect was "deeper" than I certainly imagined at the time.  However, it was made as a spoof of the AIG Culture which frankly I found invigorating and from my perspective as a very "Merit Based" environment which while dominated by "Men" had a very strong connection to China and had a diverse community of staff  from all over the world.  Now don't get me wrong.  some of the women in that video expressed frustration at times that it was a difficult environment for women.  I often reminded them that the division I established was formed by "us" in 1999 under the direction of my boss who was a women (she left to become President of ACE in 2002).  Internally the women in the video who wrote 1.1 Billion on a sticky paid started with me in 1993 as a Clerical Supervisor.  She had no college degree, but was one of the brightest individuals I ever met.   When I announced my retirement she left to help establish a Managing MGM working for that women who left AIG to be President of ACE.

One of the biggest part of the spoofs was my swaggering into New York a typical Male AIG executive with women swooning over his swagger....only to have to negotiate our plans with a Senior Actuary...also a women who I assure you was as tough a negotiator as any man.  It was with her help and counsel we grew into a 3 plus billion a year division at AIG.  The video was actually meant to crudely depict to those independent brokers who we sold our products through how we made decisions on pricing our product and paying them for selling it. 

 One thing I want to convey to my blog readers is my own perspective that getting the best people to do the job is should be the primary objective of any business manager.  I would add  that prejudices and biases should not enter into the equation.  I would also add that no organization should avoid "diversity" including race, religion (Note my comment we are not a "Catholic Company") or gender.  Ingraining an organization with any one "type of person i.e. college degrees only" can lead to hubris .

OK enough about the video already.

So I must have always been against "Quotas" right?  Wrong, I was not always against quotas, even when they affected me.  More on that shortly.  

In previous blog posts I have talked about the importance of family, friends and community.  My own self interest when we discussed Climate Change was maximizing my ability to make life easier for my own immediate family.  This has been the bedrock of humankind since we became "Human".  This imperative has been a key to human society and we all do it-Liberals and Conservatives alike.  I tried (unsuccessfully I am afraid-they hated it) to get my sons into the "insurance business" by getting them a summer job at AIG.  My friend and fellow blog follower "Whitey" was instrumental in helping get the son of another blog follower "Lester" a job as an insurance actuary.  It's what close friends can and should do. 

So why have "quotas?  Well sometimes because of that very reason, quota's can help correct historic injustices, caused structurally by historic circumstances.  Which has lead me to an incredible discovery just a few minutes ago.....and now for my newest "Karma" revelation and my own quota story.  All this is true as god is my judge.

In queuing up today's writing I  decided to relate my own experience with quota's.  I wanted to write about my recruitment and ultimate rejection by Dartmouth College which occurred in 1969.  

I attended my freshman year in High School at Central High in Philadelphia.  It was a school for boys only, designed for "gifted" students from all over the city.  I only attended one year-I hated it and transferred back to my neighborhood High School.  While at Central I played freshman football, something not available to my neighborhood High School which started with 10th grade.   As a result of my having that experience I was able to talk our Varsity coach into letting me try out for the Varsity-the only sophomore to do so, and I made the team!    I had the good fortune of playing three years and made all league as a defensive tackle in my senior year and was selected as Public League Scholar Athlete of the year.

While playing freshman ball  at Central High I became a casual friend with a nice young man...who happened to be black named Wayne Moody.  Our paths crossed again a few years later when we were both recruited by Dartmouth College.  We  flew to Dartmouth together on the Scott Paper Company Plane (my first plane ride) and spent the weekend meeting coaches etc.

Wayne ended up getting in to Dartmouth, I did not.  The reason frankly was he was black and I was not.  I loved Dartmouth (must be that Ski Country Karma) but it was not to be.  Instead I attended Lafayette, quit football to Party and well the rest is History.  I would add that I never felt slighted or deprived (my parents were initially miffed but I think were happy I went to Lafayette).  At the time and even now I felt that giving expanded opportunities to underrepresented minorities was necessary at the time.  Today I am not so sure we haven't carried this way to far, particularly when it comes to hiring and college entrance "quota's"  But let's save that for my next post.

So how many of us get to look back at the specific person who was given an opportunity over one's self based on a quota?  I did today when I Googled a few hours ago....Wayne Moody Dartmouth College.

Well boy was I surprised or what.  I could not believe my eyes.  

Like me Wayne went for premed-and decided to change majors because of the difficult curriculum.  I went Anthropology, he went Geology.  Wayne never graduated... but frankly went on to what appears to be a very successful career as an ASTROLOGIST in San Francisco.  He also BLOGS!

I am not sure how to end this piece except whoa boy.  What truly makes this country great is that all of us the OPPORTUNITY to find our bliss-whatever that may be.

I share a couple of links about Wayne.

First from Dartmouth Alumni Magazine

http://dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/articles/wayne-moody-%E2%80%9973

Second for Wayne's Blog!

Wayne Blog

.

Gender "Wars"

When you see a deer you see Bambi
And I see antlers up on the wall
When you see a lake you think picnic
And I see a large mouth up under that log
You're probably thinking that you're going to change me
In some ways well maybe you might
Scrub me down, dress me up all but no matter what
Remember I'm still a guy

Brad Paisley (Continued)


I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an' pretend
'Cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor

Helen Reddy

My last post was short and sweet and while I am glad it was I confess that my Brad Paisley lead in was intended to include some preliminary comments on "Gender Differences".  As Brad succinctly states in his song at he as a man sees the world differently than his "women" does.

I could not believe that after I decided to shorten my topic last post, virtually at that moment,  an employee at Google started a social media left/right divide controversy based on that very subject.  Who would have thunk it!  I may go back to my Karma topic!

Anyway, this topic might well be a minefield from which I never return.  I may well alienate some of my male and/or female readers no matter how I approach it, but like a moth to a flame I am drawn forward.

However, in the spirit of interjecting some humor FIRST I am going to share a video from 2004.  This video was made while I worked at AIG, well known for how seriously it took itself . It was also known for being a tough place for women to work.  I like to think my Division attempted to shatter some of those images by poking fun at the company and ourselves.  Our piece was actually made and shown at an insurance brokers conference we sponsored every year, where we shared our business plans with those who sold our products.

Anyway, the commentary at the beginning is grainy, the dialogue at times hard to hear, and there are many inside jokes.  However, early in the video Aretha Franklin's "Respect" is in the soundtrack a subtle clue on our own philosophy.  However I think you may get a chuckle at my John Travolta imitation a little more than half way through the video.  Overall the video is about 18 minutes long and I realize some of my readers may feel they do not have the time for that.  I do hope most of you give it a shot.  I will confess that two blog readers, Steve and Debbie Clark have seen this several years ago.  I think they got a chuckle from it, more because Steve was a competitor in our field!

I will save further discussions on this topic for next  week.  Hopefully at least a few of you will watch, and may even get something fun out of it!.

AIG Zone Specialty Workers Compensation

Until Then
Adieu

AIG Zone Video

Welcome to A Colorado Ski Town-A demographic Primer

When you see a deer you see Bambi
And I see antlers up on the wall
When you see a lake you think picnic
And I see a large mouth up under that log
You're probably thinking that you're going to change me
In some ways well maybe you might
Scrub me down, dress me up all but no matter what
Remember I'm still a guy

Brad Paisley




This post, at the suggestion of my editor, will be short by design.  I will try to tackle some offshoots (gender relations in our society) in some future post.  Meanwhile I wanted to share a "keeper" quote from a casual conversation Barbara and I recently had over a few glasses of wine.

About three weeks ago our "new neighbors" invited Barbara and I onto their porch for some wine and introductory "chit chat".  The couple happens to be the only other "full timers" who live in our HOA.  He is retired from the military (and now to kill time and meet people he drives a ski bus), while she is the head of HR for the Winter Park Ski area.  Her previous job was the head of HR for Whole Foods and she and her husband decided that life in Winter Park was worth "downsizing" for and would,  for her at least get them of the "rat race".  Overall a typical "modern marriage" .  Somehow we got onto the topic of local demographics while chatting about her challenges in recruiting seasonal workers etc. 

Barbara happened to mentioned that there was a disparity in Male to Female ratios in Winter Park (More men than women) and how single females here had better odds than say in Stowe (where the ratios favor men).

Our neighbor responded with this gem:

"Yes but while the odds here might be good most of the goods here are odd".

We got a real laugh on that one and then shared some laughs about the kind of workers attracted to life in a ski resort town. I am certain that some of my Stowe readers can relate to that!

Until next time
Adieu. 

Welcome to Colorado-It is a Small World After All

It's a world of laughter
A world of tears
It's a world of hopes
And a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all



One of the things that always amazes me, particularly as one goes through life, is how connected we all really are in this great big world of ours.  I have already blogged about the unbelievable connections I found when we moved to Stowe, with our good friends Steve and Debbie Clark.  

Other Stowe strange events included:

A small dinner party (8 people) where we met the chef who most likely made our first Dinner in Stowe on our Honeymoon 35 years before.

A barmaid who's Father worked closely (he was her boss) with my Older Sister in the Oregon Prison system.

Meeting a women at the Stowe Farmers Market about one week after we moved in who also just moved to Vermont from Washington State who could not believe Barbara "scored" the license plate "Marmota" a moniker who her husband requested a week or two after we moved there.  Now what are the odds of that?

Anyway,  I was again reminded of just how "Small The World is" while I was getting my first Colorado Haircut two days ago. Turns out that the Barber was a man who just finished Barber school in Salt Lake City. He attended this school while we lived in Salt Lake.  In addition he left his job at First Transit to become a Barber.  Now First Transit is same company Barbara's brother-in-law, Vern, now drives a school bus for.  Vern started his working career after leaving the Army, as a......Barber.  Anyway my barber shop banter reminded me that I wanted to share the story of one of our first contacts we met here in Winter Park.  

John "The Spa Doctor" met us about 2 days after moving in. He owns a business that services many of the resort facilities in Winter Park. Our hot tub was a mess and Barbara called this guy having found him on an internet search.  During his introductory visit we started chatting about our past, our kids etc.  Turns out he was an ex-marine like our son, but left the corps several years before our son enlisted.  He served during the first Gulf War.  OK so far not much of a coincidence I know.  However, as we chatted it turns out John was from Berkley Michigan, where Barbara and I lived for 5 years from 1979 to 1984.  Berkeley is a small town of 14,000 just outside of Detroit.   Well it turns out he lived on the same "block" as us one street over and it was very likely that the backyard he played in as a kid backed up to our backyard or at least within a house or two, all while we lived there no less.  I may well have thrown some of his errant baseballs back into his yard.

Now Colorado is a big state and I realize that such coincidences are probably statistically within the "norm" but perhaps my mother and her own Karmic beliefs are not that different than mine (although mine are less "negative").

One of the issues we had to deal with early on is her "aversion" to moving to Colorado.  My older sister you see lived in Colorado with her first husband, and while she reminded me recently that her marriage actually effectively ended in Michigan she tried a reconciliation in Colorado that failed.  Likewise my youngests Son's marriage also ended in Colorado.  My mother felt very strongly that Colorado was not a good place.  It took a lot of conversations from my sister and I to try to dispel her feelings.  Not sure we ever did!

As a rational human being I discounted her thoughts, however sometimes "random" coincidences can be irritating as hell.

I first met our next door neighbor here in Winter Park when (for the first time since moving in) I parked in front of his garage  the Friday before July 4th weekend (I had never seen anybody there since we moved in).  About 10 minutes after parking there he knocked on my door and when I apologized profusely he said "no problem I just need you to move it so I can  pull in".  

A few days later he was packing up to leave and we struck up a conversation.  He indicated this was his family's last visit until winter.   He also indicated he lived about 45 minutes away.

Two weeks later I parked in front of his garage again ( for only the second time since we moved in) to unload some stuff and went in for lunch. Barb said "you shouldn't park here", I related my conversation with him about their not coming back until ski season.  She said "OK Jim whatever you say".

Not about 10 minutes later our doorbell rang....you guessed it his wife came up to get something(?).  Anyway, Barbara met her at the door and yelled (in a somewhat irritated tone)  "Jim you need to move the car, I told you not to park there"! 

Now what are the odds of a shitty coincidence like that??? 

Do any of my readers have similar tales of strange coincidences to share?
Until next time!

Adieu

Climate Change A New Religion Part 2-"Combating Climate Change is a Moral Issue ?

Greetings from Winter Park Colorado!  My new address comes with a new elevation and while technically Barb and I are at 8,967 feet at our new address I am sitting about 20 feet higher while I type this, I figure that since I was actually at 5,055 feet in Salt Lake but only used 5,000 feet in my original Blog title I can safely rename it Observations from 9,000 feet and can reassure my readers that  I would never try to deceive them.

I hope my absence gave you all a satisfying break from my sermonizing.  I have a several new observations coming, based on the process of moving to Colorado and my Mom's transition  to assisted living which I hope to share.  Meanwhile I feel obligated to "finish' what I started on Climate Change.  This will be my 2nd and last post on this subject.

Why do I view this topic as so "important", primarily because from personal observations and conversations I find the entire topic to be a strong "tribal" indicator and symptomatic of the polarization of our entire society.

Before making my observations I would like to circle back to my old compass Jonathan Haidt.

Haidt observed that those who identify as "conservative" will generally understand the liberal argument and reject it as misguided.  Now Haidt would add that their biases may well be the source of the rejection, but conservatives in general do not consider their opposition as evil, just wrong.

 Liberals on the other hand will tend to reject the conservative position as not wrong or misguided but "evil" .  Climate Change in my mind has become THE prime example of this phenomena.  Just take a peek at those signs I posted on my first entry on Climate Change.  It is one reason that I have selected this topic as my first and likely most passionate post about today's political scene.


 My initial discussion you may recall dealt with my own impression that "pure science" is a fallacy.  Scientists, particularly those involved in speculative, or predictive science are subject to the same human failings, prejudices and peer pressure as anyone else.  I think climate "science" in particular has become extremely politicised and frankly taken on a life of its own controlled and manipulated by politicians and groups with agendas of their own.  Since my last post there has been a "significant" development with our pulling out of the Paris Climate accords.  For those of the progressive tribe this has brought great distress, confirming their belief that President Trump is the devil's advocate.  To me (who did not vote for Trump, or Hillary) it was the best thing to come out of Washington in 10 years.  Why?  Because we need to seriously look at this issue in realistic terms.

Any open minded political discussion of what to do about Greenhouse Gases cannot begin without first giving credit to what the benefits of utilizing abundant energy has done for mankind, not just economically but socially, and physically.  However, we have reached a point on this issue where we have turned any attempt at rational discourse into an issue of "Morality"particularly by those on the left.

Let me give a simple example from personal experience.  About two years ago Barbara and I attended a dinner benefit, unconnected to this topic where a very good friend (who is an ardent advocate that human induced climate change is a huge problem, and loves a good discussion on the subject)  equated the coal industry with the tobacco industry from a morality standpoint.  I believe my friend was "poking me" in an effort to stimulate dinner talk by using the same argument that a number of progressive Attorney Generals have made in their pursuit of legal action against "Big Oil".  In essence accusing them of distorted science and hiding facts about the impact of burning carbon on the future of mankind.  This friend then proceeded to ask us one by one our feelings on this concept.

 Now when I was asked my thoughts I responded essentially thusly:

Since the industrial revolution, which was made possible by utilizing cheap abundant energy (coal), mankind has more than doubled human life expectancy.  There is better sanitation, better healthcare, better education, all from lifting Billions of people out of poverty. This is hardly the result of "immorality".  I am sure Big Tobacco could never make such a claim. All of us have enjoyed the fruits of this, and to the average person in India, China, Africa etc. these benefits are still accruing.  In fact the underdeveloped nations, notably India and China will be allowed, under the Paris accords, to continue to build new coal power plants until 2025 or 2030.  They understandably "negotiated" this in the deal.    For those of us who have much it might be easy to overlook the costs associated with higher energy costs but to the average world citizen I am not sure that speculating on the impacts of what will happen in 60 or 80 years is more important in their day to day existence. It makes me crazy when I hear some on the left calling coal trains, many on there way to sell coal to these countries, "death trains", equating them with Nazi trains transporting Jews to extermination. This is not to say humankind should not "worry" about the future, but we cannot discount the fact that cheap energy is and has been a huge benefit to all of mankind.  I finished by posing this question to those around the table, "If in fact you all believed that the world was in real imminent danger from climate change you would not only advocate for policies that significantly reduce economic growth for billions but make significant changes to your own lives.  Many of you own 2 or more homes, and fly all around the world on vacations.  Some own places yards from the ocean but rail about rising sea levels.  Here in "green" New England energy costs have skyrocketed as the United Way helps the poor obtain free firewood to heat their houses.  I actually do not begrudge you this because
second homes and air travel benefit millions economically.  However, the average "Joe" wants these same opportunities.  In my opinion man's best hope is economic growth which long term enables us to live better cleaner lives.  So bottom line I think we need to look very skeptically at wild claims on what may happen in 100 years.

Needless to say it kind of ended the discussion on "morality".  The discussion turned to grandkids etc....


 Ok so why should I discount the "science" and claims of impending doom.

I have real concerns about how "Models" are presented by politicians as observable facts.  I have had a lot of business experience with models.  In my humble opinion models cannot be depended on to predict future outcomes with any certainty.  Just look at stock market models, if they could pick the future with certainty we would all be rich.

Ah, but Jim we all can be certain that the world's economies will continue to grow and that economic progress has left us with certainty that over the "long run"  for example, stocks go up.  Isn't that like adding carbon to the atmosphere, which will result in temperatures continuing to climb?  Maybe, but when looking at 3 Billion Years of earth's climate and cyclic ice ages, warm periods, changing solar activity, volcanic activity and yes periodic asteroid strikes man's influence really is a nit at this point.  Virtually every climate model has overstated the actual change in global rates  of warming over the last 25 years. In the last few weeks several studies by reputable climate scientists have acknowledged that virtually all models have overpredicted warming significantly in the last 20 years. I would be happy to share these very recent study, peer reviewed, by  reputable "scientists" who now acknowledge this.

Finally, virtually every study dealing with the potential impacts of rising temperatures, are actually theoretical models that attempt to project local effects using as a base other theoretical models that project global effects of 2-3 degrees of "warming" .  I am always amused that the claimed impacts are virtually always very "bad".  My mind boggles at that concept.  During warm periods in earth's history life adapted and flourished.

None of this is to say that studying this issue should be stopped, nor is it to say that advocates for modifying our approach to energy consumption should not be free to express their views.  However, we need to be aware that funding for studies is based on perceived  urgency.  If there is no urgency funding would dry up. Realistically studies that claim "urgency" are not hard to fund.  This easily contributes to bias.

My personal takeaway from all this is that so much of the Climate Movement's leadership is motivated by skeptics of population growth and capitalism (holdovers from Paul Ehrlich's thinking) that treat any opposing view as evil ar the true anti science advocates.

I leave you with a postscript:

I loved John Denver's music, especially "Rocky Mountain High".   Devnver's personal life was filled with the inconsistencies in thinking so indicative of humans (yes even myself).

 From Rocky Mountain High:

He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Coming home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
You might say he found a key for every door

When he first came to the mountains his life was far away
On the road and hanging by a song
But the string's already broken and he doesn't really care
It keeps changing fast and it don't last for long 

Then later in the song

Now his life is full of wonder but his heart still knows some fear
Of a simple thing he cannot comprehend
Why they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more
More people, more scars upon the land

Denver moved to Colorado and lived an elitist life in Aspen.  He did much good for World Hunger and his songs were inspirational, but like all humans he sought out the best for himself then fought to keep his Colorado from others....I seem to remember he buried a huge gas tank at his house and he flew private aviation while fighting to keep oil drillers out of the Arctic.

John Denver, like all of us at times, could simply not comprehend himself.

 Reminds me of my neighbors in Utah who want to keep Utah "Wild"for themselves.


Next up no politics!  Just some stories on welcome to Colorado!






























 





  

Welcome to Colorado Courtesy The DMV

One of the negatives of moving to another state is the process you need to go through the whole "Driving" privileges gig courtesy of your new state.  I now have experiences as follows:

1.  Pennsylvania-First Issuance
2. Florida
3.Michigan
4. Pennsylvania
5. Vermont
6. Utah
7. Colorado

Each experience has been unique, some painful (Pennsylvania twice.  Some funny (Michigan, Vermont). Some efficient (Utah), some ridiculously simple from a rules standpoint, but terrible from a customer service standpoint (Colorado).  Before I describe our day (Barbara and I) in Hot Sulphur Springs, Grand County ,Colorado.  Let me take you through some of my other states experiences.

I first obtained a license in Pennsylvania at age 16, but only after getting a signed statement from my eye doctor that I was able to drive.  For those of you who know me by my college nickname "Hawkeye" (and those who know I blame my golf "handicap" as blind in one eye) you are aware that I cannot see much out of my left eye.  On my first trip to a DMV (In Pennsylvania you go to a state police barracks) I failed my eye test because they test each eye (Most states do).  When I could not read the big E with my left eye the nice State Trooper handed me a form to be completed by my opthamologist verifying I could drive.  I was very upset, thinking my whole life would be spent on Philadelphia Bus Lines, a real drag finding dates.

I got the form completed went back passed my written and driving test and my dating woes were solved.  My first real car date was with my partner of 41 years....at a drive in.

In 1977 Barbara and I moved to Florida, with much trepidation we went to the DMV......where my left eye did me in again.  Fortunately Florida just issues a license with a code that required my car to have an outside mirror.  I did have to take a written test on Florida driving laws which I passed. Whew.

In 1979 it was off to Michigan, here the nice man at the DMV had me look into a machine.  He asked if I could see the blinking lights on the "left" I lied and said "yes".......license good to go!

The real fun began when we moved back to Pennsylvania in 1983.  Back to the State Police barrack where I first flunked my eye test.   Bam they nailed my again with the "take this form to your eye doctor".  Since my Michigan license was good for another two years I went home and figured I had plenty of time to take care of that "problem".

Well time flies with a new house, new demanding job etc.  A year and a half later I decided I best get this taken care of so I took the form to my eye doctor, got it signed and went back to a "different " barracks out where we now lived.  I went in, handed the state trooper my form and said "I flunked my eye test" a couple of weeks ago and got this form completed.  The nice state trooper responded in a very condescending tone, " They closed this Barracks where you got the form over a year ago".  After citing requirements that I should have gotten a license in 30 days he did grant me a Pennsylvania License-without fining me.  Nice man!

Although Barb and I lived in NY for a year I skipped that DMV, heck my Michigan license worked for a couple of years in PA, why worry.

Next up, Vermont.

Vermont was a riot.  With much trepidation I want to Montpelier to get my Vermont License and car registration.  My faithful wife went with me (She had obtained her Vermont license and registration when we moved to NY using our Stowe "home" address) in case I had "eye test" problems.  When I came out with my license she asked "how did you do on the eye test?"  I said "What eye test?"  They forgot to give me one.  Dodged another bullet!

Utah brought another round of fear and loathing, but to my surprise the eye test was a machine that  whatever I read off was OK with them.  Both of us were in and out (after a written "open book test" in less than a hour-license and car registration in hand.  Say what you want about Mormon culture they are efficient.

Which brings me to Colorado.  In Colorado you can get a Driver's License at any number of facilities but car registration is by county.  As an added bonus you need to have a county sheriff validated your vin number and then go to the county office to get your car registered.  As a "convenience"  they also issue a license to those not needing a driving test.  I learned this all from my loving companion, who like Vermont wanted to get this all done before we moved only to learn she needed Colorado car Insurance first.  she learned this after getting the sheriff to validate her vin number.

So both of us trekked up to the county office with my car at 10:00 am one fine morning a couple of weeks ago.  Arriving at the Sheriff's office 45 minutes later I checked in and got my vin form completed in about 20 minutes, then around the corner to the county office.  There was one person in line for a license and we would be next.  Figuring we could make some efficient use of time Barbara got in line for a license, I strolled over to register my car.

The nice clerk took my Utah registration, my sheriff's form, and my County Property  Tax document from settlement showing my Residence as 45 Crescent View Lane Winter Park.  She typed into her computer all this info and said "There is no 45 Crescent View Lane in the county records."  When I suggested I should get a tax refund from the county she said "I see that but it is not in my database, let  me get my supervisor" I knew the process would take some time.  Twenty Minutes later I had my registration it was now 11;40.

Meanwhile Barbara was still working on her driver's license.  Now in Colorado there is no written test,they give you an eye test, check your prior state's DMV and accept your out of state license as proof you "know how to drive" .  What was taking so long?  Well in Colorado they do not (like Utah and everywhere else) let you "input" the information.  They take your documents type in the data, then before issuing ask you to review.  Apparently the guy forgot the "View" after "Crescent", when Barbara pointed out the error it became another "let me get my supervisor" .  They had to "do over" everything after calling the "help desk".  It was know 12:15 PM.  The office closes for lunch at noon.  They did get her finished and told me  "come back" but not before 1:15, here is a card saying you are first in line after lunch.

Now Hot Sulphur Springs has only one eating place, a local outdoor Dairy Queen knock off-cash only.  We grabbed a burger and a shake,  took a slow walk back to the county office and arrived at 1:10 they reopened at 1:00 anyway and  had taken a "customer" in my place and had 4 people waiting in line.  When I pointed out the issue to the receptionist she said oops OK you are next.

At about 2 PM I sat down in front of the same clerk Barbara had (I was forewarned to check his work by my faithful companion and "scout'-who by the way could not register her car-she did not have her Utah registration which was in her car!).  After "not seeing the flashing light on the left"  I was advised by the clerk with a smile........"Oh it's a good thing in Colorado you can get a license with one eye".  I wanted to say it's a good thing you can get a job in the county office with half a brain but refrained.

So you might think I was home free but not quite.  I reviewed my information and well he did get Crescent View Lane OK yeah!  But then I saw "license surrendered was....CT not UT..  OOPs let me get my supervisor.

Bottom line we got home at 4:15 PM without Barb's car registered, she went back on her own a week later.

I left with one thought-while waiting to get into the Driver's License clerk after lunch I read the notices of pending marijuana sales facility approvals for Grand County.  I could not help but wonder if these clerks also tested product of these facilities as a part of their job??

As a side note I have the follow-up on climate change and a formal intro to Observations at 9,000 feet pretty much done but it is way to political to restart my blog.  It will be out in a couple of days.  I needed some humor to get rolling again.  Hope I shared a smile with my readers!

  

Climate Change a "New Religion" part 1

Climate Change a new Religion Part 1.  Academic and Scientific Integrity.

I have pondered since starting this blog, just how I would approach a favorite topic of mine- “Climate Change”.  To be more precise “Anthropologic Climate Change” (for those unschooled “Anthro” pertains to “Humans”, see what a Major in Anthropology taught me!) I find the topic fascination not only because I have been a weather freak for years (yes I know Climate and weather are “different” things), but because discussions on this subject are so “tribal”.

Now most of you know my general thinking on this subject and I will try/ to expand on it over the next few blog entries.  I am a member of the “Anthropological induced global warming skeptic tribe.  Or as those from the other tribe would say I am a “Denier” or some type of scientific bumpkin.  Today’s Earth Day protests finally fueled my fire to strike back at “Science is King” should rule the way we make political decisions.  Here we go!

I actually think I have always had an interest in Science, and I sure as heck understand Laws of Physics, Thermodynamics, evolutionary theory, continental drift, and climate variability.  I know that in the Earths geological record we have had cycle after cycle of climatic events (ice ages, periods of extreme warmth yadda yadda yadda).  I also understand the carbon cycle and how the Earth at various times have seen increased and decreased carbon dioxide levels, and that these cycles have caused sequestration of Carbon which we have burned heavily since the start of the Industrial Revolution.  I understand that Carbon dioxide levels have increased during this time and that this is the basis of the fundamental concern that we are warming the atmosphere via the “greenhouse effect”

Ok Jim, so what are you skeptical about.  Over the next several Blog posts I will try to articulate my skepticism.  More importantly I hope to present some of the social reasons this issue has become so polarizing.  For you believers in catastrophic (or even not so catastrophic) human induced Climate Change make no mistake I am coming at this from my tribal perspective.  However, I truly welcome different well considered perspectives. 

In today’s post I want to start by impinging on the idea that “science” and “academic peer reviewed research” should hold sway over people like me.  I constantly get lectured that we should let science “trump” politics on this subject.  That is because “science” and peer reviewed research is “pure.  My retort is “Bullshit it is”.  Scientists and academics are no more immune to Human Tribalism than “Joe Six Pack” raising three kids and working in the coal mines, oil and steel mills, insurance companies, airlines etc. etc.  I would argue that in fact our scientific researchers and academic experts are primarily members of a tribe that views the world through their own lens.  So let me delve into a couple of reasons I believe “science”, certainly in terms of this debate is not “pure”

Example one:  MIT

In 2013 while working at the United Way I was delving into the causes of poverty, familiarize myself with a subject that the United Way deals with every day.  One day while researching some issues on the topic of poverty, achievement and single parent households n  My attention was raised by a very interesting study by two MIT economists. 

 “WAYWARD SONS THE EMERGING GENDER GAP IN LABOR MARKETS AND EDUCATION David Autor and Melanie Wasserman.”

The study was extremely interesting and very thought provoking.  It correlated (as only economists could) the rise in Fatherless Homes, and the demise of boys.  In particular they presented some pretty extensive data that:

“Boys have suffered disproportionally and significantly more than girls with the rise of fatherless homes. Finally, most one parent families are headed by mothers not fathers, and boys appear to do relatively worse in these families, perhaps due to paternal absence.”

“Over a period of time when the economic returns on education were increasing, male educational attainment—and therefore income— has stagnated.”

“...increased prevalence of single-headed households and the diminished childrearing role played by stable male parents may serve to reinforce the emerging gender gaps in education.”

Ok those quotes were lifted from highlights of the report it is 64 pages long and trust me worth a read.  Talk about why so many males are disaffected in today’s society!

Anyway the report was prefaced as an attempt at challenging liberal thought”, by the studies sponsors, “The Third Way”.  Some interesting quotes from their preface.

“Our aim is to challenge, and ultimately change, some of the prevailing assumptions that routinely define, and often constrain, Democratic and progressive economic and social policy debates.”

You would think that such a report would be right up my “Right Wing Family Values Ally”.  However in the opening remarks were these comments:

“The trends in this paper will be debated for some time to come especially because there are no easy public policy answers to the issues raised. In fact, like most complex problems the data does not take the policy maker in one clear direction. For those on the left wing of the political spectrum it is clear that the demise of labor unions is an important factor in this story and it should lead us to investigate whether it is possible to re-vitalize unions for a 21st century economy. For those on the right wing of the political spectrum it is clear that the trend away from marriage and away from two-parent families is having an adverse effect on children, especially children from the poorest families.

 And for a greater number of policymakers, the push to legalize marriage for some same-sex couples is further buttressed by evidence that children—particularly boys—fare worse when only one parent is in the home. Dealing with this issue will test the political imagination of both political parties and should point policy makers in new directions.

Now I ask any reader how a study that purports to show evidence that boys fare poorly without fathers tries to use this to “buttress” the argument that two women should marry and raise children??? 

I challenge you to read this piece, and tell me how it could possibly “buttress” gay marriage.

Now I am not posting this to argue pro or con on the merits or moral issues with gay marriage.  I am using this piece to “buttress” my belief that in today’s world of science at least in academia virtually all roads lead to progressive thought.  If you think I am kidding look at the many studies that the vast majority of the staff at such institutions are extremely “progressive”. If you really think that such an environment does not foster thinking in “progressive ways” I have a bridge I can sell you. Peer review and grants for research are all influenced by this, that is simply logical human behavior.  When one is a member of the progressive tribe you must cite progressive ideals even if your research does not support it.  MIT is one of the “crown jewels” of our Higher Education system yet even their research falls into this trap.  I am sure the prevailing thought process at say Liberty University falls in a much different direction, and I cannot imagine a progressive thinking otherwise.

My favorite social scientist, Jonathan Haidt recently had an interview with the WSJ where he discusses just how serious tribalism is at today’s higher institutions of learning.  It is a big problem. 

Adding to bias in the inherent climate change debate is that after years of training at such institutions most government employees of the NOAA, EPA etc. involved in policy decisions came from this environment.  I believe that when Eisenhower warned us of a “Military Industrial” complex he was right on.  I also think we kid ourselves if we do not recognize the danger inherent in an Environmental/Academic complex in corrupting thought.  Now I will deal with the moral issues we face in protecting our world versus humanitarian benefits of lifting Billions out of poverty in a later post on Climate Change.

Example 2

Much of today’s “Climate Change” research comes out of Penn State University.  Most notable is Michael Mann who is a leader of the alarmist charge.  I recommend you educate yourself on Michael Mann and his history and form your own opinion.  I will interject this that “Climate Research” brings in millions to Penn State’s coffers.  So did Penn State Football.  Think how the Top People at Penn State enabled Child molestation for profit by ignoring Jerry Sandusky.  I do not for a minute disagree with the idea that “science” can easily be corrupted for money, but not only by Big Oil, but by “Big Academia” as well.  My point in this blog post is a very simple one- scientists have inherent biases as all of us do.  They are influenced by their daily environment which frankly at most institutions where they are trained or and they must espouse a very progressive worldview or be ostracized.

Finally for those who think arguing that “Science” should decide all of our policy decisions I LOVE this quote from my favorite “elitist” who in the name of “science” thinks people are dumb who do not think his way. 

“When you’re scientifically literate, the world looks different to you. It’s a particular way of questioning what you see and hear. When empowered by this state of mind, objective realities matter. These are the truths of the world that exist outside of whatever your belief system tells you.

One objective reality is that our government doesn’t work, not because we have dysfunctional politicians, but because we have dysfunctional voters. As a scientist and educator, my goal, then, is not to become President and lead a dysfunctional electorate, but to enlighten the electorate so they might choose the right leaders in the first place."

Neil deGrasse Tyson
New York, Aug. 21, 2011

Mr. deGrasse could have given Hillary’s deplorable comments it’s inspiration.   Now just ponder how science has pushed some pretty radical social re-engineering in the past.  Heck I do not dispute Darwin but even if natural selection may have caused inherent differences within our human species it does not justify slavery or euthanasia of those less capable humans among us.  That is a MORAL debate.  Science is MORALLY neutral and I do not Need Re-education.  Leave that to Pol Pot.

I will end this entry with some pictures from Earth Day, looks like the tribe I describe above.  Talk about politicizing science.  Whew.

Keeping the Customer Satisfied

It's the same old story, yeah
Everywhere I go,
I get slandered, libeled,
I hear words I never heard in the Bible
And I'm one step ahead of the shoe shine
Two steps away from the county line
Just trying to keep my customers satisfied,
Satisfied.

Simon and Garfunkel

Keeping the Customer Satisfied a follow up on customer service

I had not planned to do another “customer service” blog post but sometimes you cannot help it when stuff falls into your lap.

First how about “United” for customer service huh?  The video and reaction to the incident have certainly highlighted what not to do to customers.  I want to make a couple of points some you might know and some you may not about (yes I poked around the internet for this info.).:

1.      That Passenger was NOT BUMPED for “overbooking” he was bumped to give seats to four United Employees.  That is ILLEGAL per FAA rules.   If it was an overbooking situation United had the absolute right to haul his ass off the plane (as a legalistic guy I understand that you agree to all that to fly).  They were granted that right by an act of Congress.  However even if it was an overbooking United cannot legally just to offer a voucher either.  I believe it must be cash or equivalent (and not limited to $800 yes there is a formula and this passenger was likely entitled to well over $800 Max they offered.).  Heck an $800 dollar voucher is not really worth $800.

2.       It is interesting that the story was framed that way (as an over booked issue) initially.  It made it sound like United had some “right” to drag him off the plane.  They did not (as I mention in item 1) and I hope he and his lawyer really hit a payday.   The guy was literally mugged by United, they stole his ticket gave the ticket to an employee and then enlisted the Government to enforce the mugging.
     While most of us have conceded authority to the airlines for our personal freedom, this is really bad, worse than just the video. We see it as a necessity after 9/11.  However, like my comments on healthcare.  As soon as you have a “government/industry partnership, you get Government/Industry coercion.  Then this often gets way out of control.

3.       My son Eric experienced Government/Industry coercion first hand while technically no longer on active duty as a Marine but re-entering civilian life.  He and Blair were flying to South Carolina for three days to visit Blair’s Parents and Barbara and I for a Master’s weekend.  Blair’s mother has had tickets for years.  The day they were to arrive Blair called in tears.  She and Eric were bumped from a US Air Flight (I have not flown on US Air or its successor since) because Eric was “uncooperative”.  

Paranoid their luggage would not make the trip if checked they had only carry-on.  Eric boarded early (service ID) and to make sure Blair’s Carry-on would get to SC he took both of their carry on pieces.  Blair said whatever you do “do not let this get checked”.  Never say that to a Marine.

 He boarded and the attendant said he could not put 2 carryon bags in the overhead.  He tried to explain one was his wife’s who would be boarding in a few minutes.  She was unbending.  Eric made the mistake of telling her not to remove the bag.  Anyway a “discussion” started and the stewardess instructed him how things were different after 9/11, to which Eric lectured her about 9/11 and his life in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Big mistake Eric!

They got a refund but never made the Master’s.  Barbara and I did get to spend 2 days at the Master’s with Blair’s parents instead of just 1 including Sunday.   Charles Schwartzel won it that Sunday in an enjoyable thriller finish!

Anyway while I understand that overbooking makes airline travel cheaper and more efficient having the government and industry decide “together” caps on compensation  etc. is ridiculous.  A free market solution would solve the problem quickly.  You do not cap compensation.  Simply make it an auction.  That would force United to arrive at the most efficient use of resources.  How much was it worth to get those employees to Louisville.  Heck was it worth 12,000 bucks for a private charter or 6,000 in traveler’s compensation? 

The United Airlines incident shows what making customers compliant via coercion does, now for a few minutes I want to discuss how to make customers “happily” compliant, and do their work for them to boot!

For the last 2 years I have been “wowing” my mother by depositing checks into my bank (including a few of hers).  She still cannot believe how when I get a check, I take out my phone, and deposit a check.  I like it even more when within seconds an email comes back saying that check was  verified and deposited. Instant positive feedback and away you go. I laugh and kid my mom that my job’s all done and it makes her smile.  I try to explain how it works to her but not sure it gets through.   I cannot wait for the things my kids and grandkids amaze me with when I (hopefully) reach 91!

When you think about saving your time going to the bank, and the bank in turn having me do what used to be the banks job, it is brilliant.  A real customer service win-win except for the unemployed teller I guess.  

But let me go a step further on this off-load work, positive feedback model.

Getting a mortgage at age 64 has been an enlightening experience.  Not too much different from a re-finance I did in 2013.  You get questions about unusually large deposits (I really had very few of those!), sources of income, and then you have to explain to some young whippersnapper that a 50% joint survivor annuity pension means they pay me until I die and then my editor gets one half of that amount until she dies.  I could go on but to sum it up the process is like a financial colonoscopy.

The difference between that 2013 refinance and applying for this mortgage is like night and day from a customer perspective.  In 2013 with Morgan Stanley home loans we used a telephone and email.  Each question was a new out of the blue inquiry.  I would get a call and the nice young man (I still remember his name “Jimmie”) would ask a personal financial question like an inquisitor:

“Mr. Roberts we need to know funding source of that deposit back on January 15^th 2012”.

This went on for about 3 weeks and each time Morgan Stanley would call you out of the blue and ask a personal question and then you had to respond in writing.  You never knew when you were done. 

The process this time involved the same type of questions but here is what is so different from just 4 years ago.  “Quicken Loans”. I used them this time and it was fascinating.  Here’s why.

Before we went over to Winter Park to house hunt I called Wells Fargo because I have a banking relationship with them (maybe not much longer).  They gave me some quick overview of the process and when I said I was interested they asked if I could set up a time the next day to chat.  We made an “appointment” but at the appointed time …no call.  I called them about a half hour later, and nobody heard of me???  I could not help but remember the scandal last year about how their employees fraudulently moved accounts around to make bonuses, and figured maybe they were still too busy doing that to call me back!   Now in reality stuff happens, and frankly my local Wells Fargo people all seem nice, friendly and helpful but I do believe corporations have a culture and while I still have a checking account at Wells Fargo I think they and United have a much in common.

I then went online and “chatted” with Quicken Loans.  Within seconds of explaining why I was “chatting” I got a response “can we call you now or what time is convenient” I responded “now is fine” and in 10 seconds my phone rang and I was talking to a person who is now my “loan officer” (I subtlety noticed during this process that this nice person “Linda” would suddenly appear in the midst of some back and forth and make a decision in my favor.  From the start I had a relationship with a person who seemed in a decision making role).  Anyway on this initial call I explained some very complicated income statistics (my “income” was low in my first year or two of retirement, think of my Tax Credit strategy).  She quickly grasped, said can you send me three years of tax returns, just “upload” to Quicken Loans (after opening an online account of course).  Boom the next day I had a pre-qualification letter etc.  Off to Winter Park we went.

Now it has not all been peachy keen.  “Linda” told me at the start that the “underwriting process” will get more involved and it did (no surprise).  I felt at times like I was training some of their people.  Interesting when I could not get through to them on an issue a specialist "Natalie" (or Linda) would quickly grasp and get cleared up. 

Ok so why am I boring you with a Quicken Loan infomercial?  The way Quicken Loans has set up this whole pain in the ass process was fascinating to me.

1  They post your “anticipated” settlement date at the top of the page when sign in.  Also posted are stats on “completed items”, things they are working on and a “to do list” with target dates for you to get to them.

2.      As soon as you upload a memo or a document to that to do list and bingo it goes off my list and on to their list for their “underwriting review”.  Wham Bang!   Your to list is one item shorter and you can then pick off items as you wish in any order you wish.  It gives the customer a sense of control.

3.    If they did not like your answer they toss it back, and it pops right back as a “to do”.  That got frustrating sometimes but you always had “Linda or Natalie” to contact directly. I am convinced that subtlety most people I believe do not want to “go to the well” to often, and in essence do not want to “waste a lifeline”.  This helps keep the “Linda’s an Natalie's” from getting overwhelmed with appeals and guides customers to solving the problem themselves.

Now let me tell you if you want to buy a house you dutifully do your “tasks” and smile as you knock them off.  They even have prioritized all of it for you! Talk about instant positive feedback! Yay my list is done!

This in my opinion is pure genius, like getting me to deposit checks.  I did most of the work for Quicken Loans and felt OK about it!  I could not help but contrasting this with United’s approach to customer service.  If you think that Airlines are “different”, and my comparison is stupid, try this.

Next time you fly try Southwest Airlines, in my opinion their process is a carbon copy of Quicken 

Loans.   

Until next time

Adieu